Leaving Everything but Love
by judgement-of-anubis
Summary: song fic Andrew Loyed Weber crossed with Gaston Leroux to Sara Brightman's "Free". EC in the end, similar to "In Blood". Raoul cheating, no suicide. please r


A/n: Chapters one and two of "Sleeping" will be posted later today. I'm listening to Sarah Brightman's "Free" which is the song fic I'm doing now so if you have it, turn it on, it's on her "Harem" cd. FINVARRA In reviewing this, I do see you're point so I've fixed it. thank you. Lyrics are italics Please review.

_Extra not: Live Journal users! I need you! I've just opened a new lj community. A _tribute to Erik, welcome all Erik lovers! Just copy and paste the link and you'll be led to the candle lit chamber.

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Leaving Everything but Love

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_And do you still touch her like you do  
Kissed her all over in the way I kissed with you  
And..._

Christine stood in the living room of the De Chagny mansion and silently watched Raoul and his mistress in what they thought was a secret kiss. Tears were long gone by now and with each passing day she thought increasingly about one man. One tortured man whom she had left behind. Her eyes drifted up the stairs as they made their way to his room. '_When you sleep with her, do you sometimes think of me? Not if you love her the way I see_.'

_I had to be free  
Had to be free  
It's all that I wanted_

_I wanted to see  
Wanted to be_

She knew things were falling apart long before she found out about the other woman. She had watched the train pass her window so many times and each time she began to imagine she was on it. Every now and again, when she and Raoul would fight, she could swear that she heard her angel laughing. Though the thought was infuriating she knew that if he truly were there he would have been antagonizing the situation. She looked out the window in her secret room and felt that familiar longing as the shadows began to play in the setting sun. They gave her sweet memories of the stage, people throwing roses to her feet and calling out her name. For this moment she was back there, in the opera and everyone was applauding her. She mentally thanked everyone and her eyes swept glowingly across the room and up into a darkened box seat. In that instant she was there with him...he her teacher, her guide, her tormentor and love and it was there in his arms that she truly wanted to be. 'You gave me everything, were always there and yet you let me be _alone if I needed_.'

_I had to be free  
Had to be free  
From feelings that haunted_

_I wanted to see  
Wanted to be  
Free_

_And then in the evening light, when the bars of freedom fall  
I watch the two of you in the shadows on the wall  
..._

She closed her tired eyes as the stars began to appear above her until she heard the rustle of fabric. She turned to the open door and watched for a moment as Raoul's shadow slowly crawled up the bed like a wild cat and kissed the unseen woman lying with him. She turned away and back to the window where for just a fleeting second she saw a familiar figure at the edge of the tracks. But no, that couldn't be; it simply couldn't be the man she wanted him to be. Like a true ghost she realized he would haunt her forever unless she returned to him. '_How in the darkness steals some of the choices from my hand? Then will I begin to understand?_' another glance out the window showed her a sight that both frightened, and threatened to make her cry tears of joy. Then the tender voice crept up through the closed window and she sat there in sheer amazement as she listened to his song. Suddenly she leapt to her feet and fled down the stairs, eyes beginning to brim with tears. She tore open the front door and found...no one. But she had heard his voice, so clearly and she couldn't forget it for the rest of her life. "Erik?! Please come to me!" After a moment of silence she dropped to her knees, tears of joy turning to sadness. "I need you Erik...I need my angel of music. Not just to teach me, but to love me." In sadness she turned and went back in.

_I had to be free  
Had to be free  
It's all that I wanted_

She rushed up into the chamber that held the sleeping lovers and tore all her clothes out of the closet and dressers. There in the darkness she knew what had to be done. She turned to grab the suitcase from under the bed and found Raoul standing here. For the oddest of reasons Christine was happy now. A huge weight had been lifted from her heart. She glanced behind him at the startled blond in bed and smiled at the two of them. "I'm sorry this didn't work out Raoul...I hope that now we will all be happy. If you'll show me one last kindness and pull out my cases please?" He did as she said and helped her carry her things into the living room. "Where will you go?" She smiled and her eyes lit up. "Where I will always be happy. I'm going to sing again. Start a new life...I'll send you tickets if you like." Raoul nodded, a hurt expression on his face. "Christine..." She shushed him and shook her head smile fading. "It's much too late for apologies Raoul. I'm sure you'll be happier with her anyway." She watched silently as he walked back up the stairs. "Raoul." He stopped and turned back. "I'll be gone before morning. The next train is in half an hour." He nodded. "Good bye Christine." She smiled. "Good by Raoul." And with that she was gone.

_I wanted to see  
Wanted to be  
Alone if I needed_

She sat alone on the train, watching the forested area rush by and she began to think back, remember where she was going. 'I'm coming Erik. I've been gone far too long.'

_I had to be free  
Had to be free  
From feelings that haunted_

The closer the train got to the Paris railway, the more lightened her heart became. With every stop the train made, a frightened ghost from her past walked away.

_I wanted to see  
Wanted to be  
Free_

The first thing she had to do was get her job back and so she walked into the managers office and the two of them paled when they saw her. "Good God are you a ghost?! Where on earth have you been?!" She smiled and sat down across from them. Andre was leaning over the desk and Firmin and they had both stopped short of their conversation when she came in. "I would like to sing again Monsieur's...if the position of secondary diva hasn't already been filled." The two men began to laugh and Andre shook his head. "We'll be quite happy to have you back. Where is the Vicompt?" She looked away for a moment. "It didn't quite work out between us I'm afraid. I'll be a single woman again in a few months." Andre leaned in close to her and whispered. "I'll let you go...there's a certain opera ghost who hasn't made a fuss since you left." She smiled greatly and nodded as she rushed out.

_I had to be free  
Had to be free  
It's all that I wanted_

There was no one on stage as it was nearly seven in the morning and she stood there, looking around at the empty seats, and one box seat in particular. It was there that she directed her voice and began to sing as she had never sung before.

"_I wanted to see  
Wanted to be  
Alone if I needed_

_I had to be free  
Had to be free  
From feelings that haunted_

_I wanted to see  
Wanted to be  
Free_."

And there in the darkest place in the box a light began to shine and out of that light came the man she thought she'd never see again. His voice trembled as he spoke her name and tears threatened to spill from his eyes. "Christine? Are you real?" She only began to run to him but he stopped her. "Wait, stay right there!" For a split second she was afraid of what he might do. Was he angry with her? She closed her eyes as she felt his arms come around her, holding her closely and almost too tightly. He couldn't keep an even voice as it trembled with excitement when he whispered into her ear softly. "Have you come back to me my angel? Have you come to stay?" She smiled serenely and sang her answer. "I wish to stay with you forever. Angel of music, guide and guardian, grant to me your glory. Angel of music, say you love me, stay by my side now and always..." Erik couldn't stop smiling as he took her hand and spun her out. "Christine...say you love me, all that I ask of you!" She threw her arms around him. "Erik...I love you..." And as she kissed him they disappeared in smoke.

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So what did you think? Hope you liked, please review! 


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